Vice PM: Ukrainian Presidential advisor's comments confirm Georgia would be at war if Saakashvili were in power

Comments by Ukrainian Presidential advisor Oleksiy Arestovych confirm that if the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili were in power in Georgia, the country would be embroiled in a war, Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister and Culture Minister, said on Tuesday.

Tsulukiani was responding to a statement by Arestovych who said “the leadership of Moldova and Georgia are not people of war; Saakashvili could have done it, but not the current leadership of Georgia” in comments on the Georgian Government’s position in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

He [Arestovich] says that we, the current Government of Georgia, are unacceptable because we are not the people of war and we do not start a war in our own country to divert Russia's attention and military forces between Ukraine and other fronts. Yes, I, as a member of this Government, affirm that there are no people of war in this Government today,” Tsulukiani said.

The Minister said her Government was working “for stability” and was “focused on peace” on the backdrop of the conflict that started in late February. Tsulukiani also added the Ukrainian official’s comments indicated “if Saakashvili was in power, Georgia would be embroiled in a war”.